Sports

Conklin will defend US net at world hockey championsips

Coming off a mediocre NHL season, goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage for the third time is headed to the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, a stage where he has delivered dominating performances.

In eight world championship starts, Conklin has never lost in regulation.

He was so good in the 2004 Worlds in the Czech Republic that he was named the tournament's outstanding goalie after backstopping Team USA to the bronze medal with a 1-0 shootout win over Slovakia. That earned him USA Hockey's Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international hockey.

Conklin, 35, who also played in the 2005 worlds in Austria, is 5-0-3 in world championships games with a 2.00 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout.

Conklin, who played this past season for the St. Louis Blues, on Wednesday was one of 16 players USA Hockey named to its national team for the 16-team tournament that opens Friday in Slovakia.

Team USA, which also includes goalie Al Montoya of the New York Islanders, opens play Saturday against Austria.

Conklin is the only goaltender from Alaska to play in the NHL. The 10-year pro has played for six teams in the world's best league -- Edmonton, Columbus, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Detroit and St. Louis. He owns a career record of 91-61-20 with a 2.64 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and 16 shutouts.

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This season for St. Louis, Conklin went 8-8-4 with a 3.22 goals-against average, .881 save percentage and two shutouts.

Conklin played college hockey at New Hampshire, where he was a two-time All-American, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's best player and, in a rare honor for a goaltender, team captain.

He made $1.3 million this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

By DOYLE WOODY

dwoody@adn.com

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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